Overview

The hanbok (한복), also called Chosŏn-ot (조선옷) is a traditional Korean costume, It is worn not only by South and North Korea, but also by the joseon-jok (Korean-Chinese), a minority group in China. The term hanbok literally means “Korean clothing.” Due to their isolation from each other for about 50 years, the styles of hanbok in South Korea, North Korea, and joseonjok, worn by the Korean ethnics from these three countries have developed separately from each other. Since the 1990s, the South Korean-style and the North Korean-style have been looking more and more similar to each other. Similarly, since the Chinese economic reform of China, there have been more exchanges with both Koreas leading to both the development and changes in joseonjok-style Chosŏn-ot in China; some of the designs of the joseonjok-style Chosŏn-ot have been influenced and inspired by both South-Korean and North Korean hanbok designs. 

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